Turning and turning in the widening gyreThe falcon cannot hear the falconer;Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,-The Second Coming, WB YeatsYeats could have been channelling the spirit of the modern political campaign manager. For nearly twenty years political parties and candidates have been successful in imposing previously undreamed controls on campaigns.

The parish of Tuppenceworth has seen it's best writing, and best thinking, in 2009. Unfortunately for me, all of it was produced by Fergal. I have bumped along, the Bez to his Ryder, cheerfully waving my maracas whenever I thought anyone was looking.

Cash Money. I received an email today from Joe Costello telling me about a competition they're running to promote the Lisbon Treaty. In exchange for a well crafted one minute video, they're offering a prize of €1000, spendable in shops, into your hot little hands.

I'll be on this morning's Tubridy Show on RTE Radio one with Richard Delevan, late of the Sunday Tribune. The topic we've been set, like the leaving cert essay, to discuss is 'Political Hactivism'. UPDATE: The discussion can be heard here (Realplayer link) from 49 minutes in.

Speaking the morning at the Irish Management Institute the government's Minister for Information Society in the Department of the Taoiseach, Tom Kitt TD said that government cannot be swayed by obsessive bloggers but must give equal voice to people who don't have time to have narrowly focussed opinions. Info supplied by a pair of incredulous blogger ears in the room by SMS, so direct quote not guaranteed.

All is quiet here in Tuppenceworth, but I thought I might send out a couple of flares to let readers know we haven't sunk completely. I have now received my Nokia N800. It is better than I thought it would be.

Lucinda McNally sent me this email interview as part of her postgraduate thesis research. It's long so you can use the More link to read it all, if you like how it starts to shape up. The best stuff is near the end, so I know you'll all be clicking like goodo.

Lucinda McNally is writing a thesis on the impact of blogging on the Irish Election. She sent me a set of questions, which I'll reproduce later today with her blessing, together with my answers. She also sent me a second set of brass tacks questions, suggested after a meeting with a supervisor cynical about blogs.

Turning and turning in the widening gyreThe falcon cannot hear the falconer;Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,-The Second Coming, WB YeatsYeats could have been channelling the spirit of the modern political campaign manager. For nearly twenty years political parties and candidates have been successful in imposing previously undreamed controls on campaigns.